Proportional mixing tank



Feb. 14, 1961 R. BECK, JR 2,971,673

PROPORTIONAL MIXING TANK Filed May 18, 1959 F155;. .2 =i+ ,0 Q I I r 1-\Jgl/s I 24 2 L p g! l your" 1 W11) n 7 I E I 5 I i 20-41%: 4 l

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United States Patent 2,971,673 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 fiice PROPORTIONALMIXING TAYK Richard Beck, Jr., Minneapolis, Minn assignor to Mc- CullochCorporation, Marine Products Division, Minneapclis, Minn., a corporationof Minnesota Filed May 18, 1959, Ser. No. 813,919 8 Claims. c1. 220-86)The present invention relates to containers and sp cifically to improvedcontainers for proportionally mixing two fluids together.

Certain portable internal combustion engines, such as two-cycle outboardmotors, require a fuel mixture of fixed proportions of oil and gasoline.Previously the desired mixture has been provided either by separatelymeasuring the fluids to be mixed or in containers wherein a valve isprovided either to permit fluid mixing or to permit receiving a limitedamount of oil.

Accordingly this invention provides an improved and simplifiedproportional mixing tank. Two interconnected chambers are provided inthe tank with one chamber being in fluid receiving relation to'a tankspout. When the tank is on one side the spout opening prevents fluidcommunication between chambers providing for volumetric measuring of onefluid to be added to the tank in what is termed a non-mixing tankposition. The tank is movable about a spout opposing corner to a secondside whereon the chambers are in fluid communication permitting themixing of the one fluid with a second fluid to be added in what istermed a mixing tank position.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed inthe course of the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of apreferred embodiment of this invention and oriented in a non-mixingposition.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken in the direction of the arrowsalong line 22 in Fig. 1'.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View as in Fig. 2 but pivoted about onetank corner to a mixing position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in'the direction of the arrowsalong line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig 5 is a partially cutaway front elevational view of an alternateembodiment of this invention.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken in the direction of the arrowsalong line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

With more particular reference to the accompanying drawing like numbersdesignate like parts and structural features in the various views. Apreferred embodiment ofthis invention is illustrated in Figs. l4.whereinnumeral110 generally designates fluid holding tank housing with acarrying handle 12.- A spout 14 adapted to removably receive a cap 15 isintergrally mounted on 45 angled housing portion 16 between cornerportions of adjacent longitudinal sides 17 and. 18. Inside housing apair of dividers 20 have edge 21 spaced from adjacent side 18 forming afluid passagewaybetween narrow oilmeasuring and gas-oil mixing chamber22 and the rest of the housing 10 interior.

Dividers 20 have angularly diverging fluid deflecting portions 24 influid sealing relation to adjacent side 17 and angled portion 16 and areadapted to funnel fluid from spout 1 4 into the narrow mixing chamber22; A;

bafiie or deflecting plate 26 completes the-tank input funnelingsectionand extends in fluid'sealing relation the chamber 22 fluid holdingvolume.

from adjacent side 18 along portions 24 thence between dividers 20extending partially through chamber 22. Plate 26 extends into chamber 22at a 45 angle with respect to spout 14 for deflecting a fluid streamtherethrough toward side 17 and away from the aforedescribed fluidpassageways. Y

The operation of the preferred embodiment of this invention will now bedescribed. Fig. 3 illustrates the tank in the initial and the normalcarrying position with the handle supporting side 17 upwards. The fluidpassageways formed by dividers 20 and side 18 are'now vertical,extending from the lowest side of the tank housing 10 upwardly 'to plate26. The old gasoline-oil mixture in the tank has the same level in eachof the tank chambers. With the tank being placed on a level spot it ispivoted on and about a spout diagonally opposing longitudinallyextending corner portion 28 to the Fig. 2 or what may be termed anon-mixing position. Edges 21 now form the lower side of the fluidpassageway and are above at least a portion of the spout 14 preventingfluid communication between chamber 22 and the rest of the tankinterior. Now the old gasoline-oil mixture is held in the chambers inproportion'to their respective fluid containing volumes, as will behereinafter described, the chamber 22 volume being for measuring oil.

Cap 15 is removed from spout 14 and oil is poured therethrough until theoil level in chamber 22 reaches the lower 'lip portion of'the spout.Chamber 22 now contains the oil-to-gasoline proportion'of theoldgasolineoil mixture plus the newly added oil in amount suflicient toprovide gasoline-oil mixture to finish filling the tank. The relation ofthelower spout 14 lip portion to the tank together with the chamber 22dimensions determines The empty fluid holding volume of the housing 10interior is exactly the volume of gasoline needed to'rnix with the newlyadded'oil inchamber -22 to finish filling the tank. Before adding thegasoline the-tank is againpivoted aboutcorner portion 28 back to theFig. 3 or what is termed a fluid mixingposition with handleside 11facing upwardly. -Gasoline is now added through the spout 14 until thetank fluid level reaches a spout lower lip portion. The tank nowcontains a full amount of the desired gasoline-oil mixture.

. As the gasoline was poured through the spout 14 it was deflected byplate 26 upwardly away from the passageway as indicated by the plateadjacent arrow in Fig. 3 creating a more turbulent flow for improvedmixing and washing the oil from the chamber 22 sides of dividers 20. Thegasoline'turbulently flowed downwardly and through thepassageway mixingwith the oil to provide a uniform gasoline-oil mixture in the tank.

. As the tank is'carried by handle 12 the tank chambers are incontinuous fluid communication permitting limited sloshing. Thecentrally located mixing chamber 22'acts as a baffle to limit thesloshing, making a partially filled tank easier to balance duringcarrying.

To pour the mixture from the tank, the tank is tipped to the left fromthe Fig.3 position permitting the mixture to flow through the spout 14proportionately from each tank chamber. I 1

With reference now toFigs. 5 and 6 there is illustrated an alternateembodiment of the present invention wherein the mixing chamber and thespout are moved from a longitudinal central tanklocation to alikelongitudinal end portion of the tank housing. In these two figures likenumbers primed designate modified parts performing like functions in thepreferred embodiment.

A spout 14 is integrally attached to angledportion 16' and disposed overa fluid tunneling section for fluid comside wall 30. An angularlyextending deflecting plate portion 24' and a side funnel section 32 witha baflle plate 26' form the funnel section. In proportionately mixingtwo fluids in the alternate embodiment the same procedure is followed asdescribed for the preferred embodiment wherein the tank is pivoted onand about a corner portion 28 diagonally opposite the spout.

1 It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within thespirit and scope of the appended claims. and described my invention,what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid holding housing havinglongitudinally extending adjacent housing sides with a spouttherebetween and a spout diagonally opposing corner portion, the tankbeing pivotable about the corner portion between fluid mixing andnon-mixing positions, a transversely extending divider inside thehousing forming chambers on each side thereof and having'one edge spacedfrom one of the said two housing sides for providing a fluid passagewaybetween said chambers, the spout being eifectively disposed to onelongitudinal side of the divider such that it is communicativelyconnected with the one chamber and having its opening extending closerto the housing side opposite the one side than said one edge, and thepassageway formed between said edge and one side extending transverselyacross the tank whereby at least a portion thereof is lower than saidspout when the tank is resting on the side opposing the other adjacentside whereby the tank is in a mixing position.

2. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid holding housing havinglongitudinally extending corner portions and a spout centrally locatedalong one of said corner portions, the housing being pivotable about aspout diagonally opposing corner portion between fluid mixing andnon-mixing positions, a pair of transversely extending spaced apartdividers inside the housing forming a mixing chamber therebetween,funnel means in- Having now therefore fully illustrated Cir terposedbetween the spout and the chamber for com- 7 when the housing is in anon-mixing position.

3. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid hold ing housing havinglongitudinal extending corner portions and a spout adjacent onelongitudinal end, the housing being pivotable about a spout diagonallyopposing corner portion between fluid mixing and non-mixing positions, atransversely extending mixing chamber inside the housing and immediatelyadjacent said one longitudinal end and provided with a transverselyextending passageway opening to the rest of the housing interior, afunnel section inside the housing for communicatively connecting thespout and the chamber, deflecting means in the funnel section anddisposed between the spout and passageway for causing fluid from thespout to move away from the passageway, and the spout hav-" ing anopening portion extending lower than the passageway when the housing isin a non-mixing position.

4. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid holding housing havinglongitudinal extending corner portions, adjacent longitudinal housingsides with anangled ways along one adjacent side and opening to the restof the housing interior, funnel means in the housing for providing fluidcoupling between the spout and the mixing chamber, a carrying handle onthe other adjacent side, the spout having an opening extending lowerthan said passageways when the tank is in the non-mixing positionwhereby a limited volume of fluid may be added to the chamber throughthe spout, and the passageways being lower than said spout opening andthe other adjacent side being upwardly when the tank is in the mixingposition whereby the entire tank may be filled with fluid poured throughthe spout.

5. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid holding housing havinglongitudinal extending corner portions, adjacent longitudinal housingsides with an angled portion therebetween having a spout integrallyassociated therewith, the housing being pivotable about a spoutdiagonally opposing housing corner portion between fluid mixing andnon-mixing positions, a transversely extending mixing chamber inside thehousing and having a passageway along one of the adjacent housing sidesopening into the rest of the housing interior, funnel means forproviding fluid communication between the spout and the chamber andincluding a plate. interposed between the passageway and the spout andextending into the chamber for deflecting fluid from said spout to moveaway from said passageway toward and along the other said adjacenthousing side, and the spout opening extending toward the side opposingthe one adjacent side such that it is closer thereto than the passagewayopening.

6. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid holding housing havinglongitudinal extending corner portions, adjacent longitudinal housingsides with a longitudinal centrally located angled portion therebetweenhaving a spout integrally associated therewith, the housing beingpivotable about a spout diagonally opposing longitudinally extendingcorner portion between fluid mixing and non-mixing positions, a pair oftransversely extending parallel spaced apart dividers longitudinallycentrally disposed inside the housing and adjacent the spout,

two deflecting plates inside the housing connecting the angledportionwith each respective divider on opposite longitudinal sides of thespout, one edge of each of the dividers being spaced from one adjacentside for providing fluidcommunication between the chamber and the restof the housing interior, a baflie plate extending in a contiguousrelation with both deflecting plates away from said one adjacent sidetoward and beyond said divider edges for deflecting fluid from saidspout to move toward and along the other said adjacent housing side, andthe spout having an opening extending away from the one adjacent sidefurther than the divider edge spacings therefrom such that when'the tankone side is upward it is in a non-mixing position whereby the fluidlevel between the dividers is lower than the passageway as limited bythe spoutop ening.

7. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid holding housing havinga spout, a mixing chamber inside the housing which opens thereint'oalongone side of the housing and disposed adjacent andbeing communicativelyconnectedto the spout, a corner portion formed in the housing oppositethe spout and adjacent a chamber portion opposite said opening, the tankbeing movable on the corner portion between fluid mixing and non-mixingpositions, when the tank is in the non-mixing position the chamberopening extends horizontally and is higher than the lowest portion ofthespout whereby fluid may 1 be poured through the spout only into thechamber, and

portion therebetween with a spout formed therein, the

housing being pivotable about a spout diagonally opwhen the tank is inthe mixing position the opening extends vertically for permitting asingle fluid level in the tank;

8. A proportional mixing tank comprising a fluid holding housing havinga spout, opening, a mixing chamber inside thehousing and extending toahousing portion OP.

posite the spout and opening toward and spaced apart from a housingportion adjacent both the spout and the said opposite housing portion, acorner portion in the housing along the opposite portion remote from theadjacent portion, and about which the tank is pivotable between fluidmixing and non-mixing positions, the spout opening extending furtheraway from the adjacent portion than the chamber is spaced therefrom, andfunnel means inside the housing for communicatively connectingReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSRamsden June 30, 1942 Spilo May 11, 1943

